The development model of AI Summer is similar to DeFi, from killer applications to infrastructure, from imitators to innovators. If we discuss from upstream to downstream, it is computing power + data ($IO $HEU $GRASS) -> model ($TAO) -> applications (such as AI Agent), and there will be corresponding frameworks at each level.
Let me add one more thing, there are many directions for applications, and AI Agent is a direction that we are currently hyping up. Computing power + data and applications are what I have talked about the most. I plan to talk more about things I haven't talked about before, which is also a way to push myself to actively learn.
At the time of the FLock TGE (or Bybit's cross-year Launchpool), let's talk about the @flock_io project.
In simple terms, FLock is an AI model training middleware, between the providers of computing power + data and the AI application developers. It helps AI application developers with more decentralized/modular computing power + privacy-protected data for better and more decentralized AI model training.
The knowledge points involved here are "decentralized/modular computing power" and "decentralized storage + privacy protection of data".
Friends who have read my previous tweets should know the reasons why I am optimistic about $HEU: the AI Agent framework launched by Heurist is actually finding a buyer's market for its own computing power. I really like its self-production and self-sales model.
Developing AI-related applications will involve computing power, data, and training. FLock basically solves all the troubles that developers need to deal with through its own infrastructure - developers only need to adjust the training model, and FLock takes care of the computing power and data.
The above is mainly to explain to everyone where FLock's ecological position is.
Secondly, when making a product, you must strike a combination punch.
FLock's combination punch is the three-piece set of AI Arena, FL Alliance, and AI Marketplace.
AI Arena is an AI training platform, where AI developers come to train AI and adjust models.
FL Alliance is a collaboration platform for data providers and AI developers, where data providers can provide privacy-protected proprietary data to AI developers to further optimize AI models.
AI Marketplace is a model hosting and trading platform. In simple terms, AI Marketplace is a platform that gathers a bunch of people to build, improve, and use AI models together.
Using the world view of martial arts, AI Arena is where you customize your character and set the basic values, FL Alliance is where you upgrade your skills and learn new techniques, and AI Marketplace is a guild where everyone comes to discuss martial arts and learn from each other.
Through the above three-piece set, FLock's ultimate goal is to produce more and more high-quality AI models.
Currently, the total supply of FLock tokens is 1 billion, with an initial circulation of 12.88%, as shown in the figure below. It will airdrop tokens to all participants in the previous Flock products and testnet. Investors and the team are locked for 1 year.
Next, let's take a look at FLock's investment background:
The lead investor Faction has previously invested in protocols like Lens and Puffer.
Well-known participants include Animoca Brands, DCG, OKX Ventures, and GSR ($USUAL $MOVE market makers). DCG is the parent company of Grayscale, and Grayscale's focus is also leaning towards AI, such as Grayscale Research recently updating its Top 20 tokens for Q1 2025, adding $VIRTUAL $GRASS, two AI ecosystem tokens.
It is worth mentioning that FLock has also received funding from the Ethereum Foundation's Academic Grants Round 2024.
Finally, let me share my own opinion: I think the model of "small ball driving big ball" is very suitable for the AI Agent track, such as AIXBT/VIRTUAL and SPORE/PHA. To predict whether an AI Agent infrastructure can take off, you must observe the performance of its ecosystem Agents, that is, to see how they occupy the market mindshare, in order to drive the continuous growth of the parent project. Similarly, we can apply this methodology to FLock - by observing the performance of FLock's ecosystem sub-projects to formulate our investment plan.
